Vehicle-wheel.



No. 672,908. Patentod Apr. 30, MN.

a. s. LEE.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

(A u'mion filed Dec. 18, 1900. (In llodol.) 3 Sheets-Shoat l.

WITNESSES: INV ENTOR E ga W447 "I5 ATTORNEY ms nonms PETERS coy.wnoTouma. WASHINGTON, o. c.

No. 672,908. v Patented Apr. 30, IBM.

6. 8. LEE.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

(Application filed Dec. 13,-1900. (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shem 2.

WITNESSES w s BY QZ jJ W TORNEY Patented Apr. so, 1901,

3 Sheets-Shut 3.

INVENTOR I ATTO;R:NEY

Rag

@0 WI/VZWW 6. s. LEE. VEHICLE WHEEL.

(Applichtion filed Dec. 13, 1900A (No Model.)

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

GEORGE S. LEE, OF HAWTHORNE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE WITHIN WHEELCOMPANY, OF NEW JERSEY.

VEHlQLE -WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 672,908, dated April30, 1901-. I Application filed December 13, 1900. Serial No. 39,699.(NomodeL) To all whom it may concern.

Beit known that I, GEORGE S. LEE, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Hawthorne, county of Passaic, and State ofNew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVehicle- Wheels, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates particularly to cushioned wheels in which theoutside tire or rim is unyielding, but in which the cushioning de- 'viceis between the outside tire or rim and the hub portion of the wheel.

My invention consists in the provision in a wheel of two members, onemember provided with a hub portion and the other with theoutside rim ortire, a cushioning device between the said members, and means forpermatic outer tire and at the same time protect such cushioning deviceas I employ from injury incident to its use upon streets or roads. Inthis manner I provide a wheel which is well adapted to a heavy class ofvehicles, such as those of an automobile character. In cushioned orpneumatic wheels of the ordinary construction the weight of the vehicleis such that the tires are punctured by coming in contact with sharpsubstances of the road-bed; and one object of my invention is to.protect the cushioning device bynot bringing it in contact with theroad-be V A further object of my invention in so disposing of thecushioning device between the wheel members is that by such arrangementa greater portion ofthe cushioning device is employed at a time tosupport the load than is employed when the cushioning device is incontact with the road-bed itself. The pressure and strain are betterdistributed, and it is. possible to employ'a lighter cushioning devicethan would otherwise be practicable.-

. Another object of my invention is the'fur- .ther distribution ofpressure and strain in the "employment of a plurality of flexibleinflatable tubes as a cushioning device and in so dividing up thecushioning device to provide that should any accident happen to oneportion thereof the entire wheel would'not be immediately disabled.

My invention further consists in certain novel details of constructionand combination of parts, as shall hereinafter be more fully set 7fOlllll.

I shall now proceed to describe a vehicle- Wheel embodying my inventionand will then point out the novel features in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle-wheelembodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a central transverse sectionalelevation through the hub portion. Fig. 3 is a partial central sectionof the parts shown in Fig. 2 and a partial side elevation of the same,certain parts being broken away in order to better illustrate otherparts. Fig. 4 is a detail transverse section through the cushioningdevice and the outer rim or tire. Fig. 5 is a detail view of a portionof a wheel in partial central transverse sectionyshowing a modification.Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4.

My improved wheel comprises two members, one carrying the hub portion,and which for purposes ofthisspecification I willdesignate as the hubmember, and the other carrying the outer rim or tire, and which forpurposes of this specification I will term the tire member.

The hub member comprises the hub proper, designated in the drawings bythe reference character 1, and a rim 2, surrounding same. The hub 1 andrim 2 are rigidly secured to- I gether bysuspension-spo kes 3, the saidspokes being secured to the rim 2 in the ordinary 9o manner and toflanges with whichthe hub l is provided in a manner common-to-this typeof wheel.

The tire member comprises an outer metallicrim or tire i,which may ormay not have a' rubber tire 5 secured thereon, a rim ,6 of

smaller diameter than the tire-rim 4, and a plurality of spokes 7, whichare secured to both the said rims 6 and 4; Certain of the spokes (7 inthis case the alternate spokes) have. inwardly-extending portions 8,.which pass freely through slotted openings in the rim 2 and which enterinto and engage with the hub 1. In the construction herein shown theends of the spokes are secured together in a floating plate or ring 9.The floating plate 9 in such case becomes an integral part of the tiremember. The said floating plate 9 has a groove or recess 10 arranged oneither side thereof, which is adapted to receive the tongues 11 ofintermediate guide-plates 12,arranged within the hub 1 and between theopposite sides of the floating plate 9 and the side walls of the saidhub. The intermediate guide-plates have grooves 13, similar to thegrooves 10 in the floating plate 9 and arranged at right angles to thetongues 11, carried by the said plates, and on the opposite sidesthereof. The grooves 13 engage with and receive tongues 14, projectinginwardly from the said walls of the hub 1. The intermediate guide-plates12 in their connections with the floating plate 9 and hub 1, as justdescribed, will permit a relative movement between the floating plate 9and the hub 1, and hence between the tire member and the hub member inright lines in the plane of rotation of the wheel, but will positivelylock the parts against relative rotation. When moving in a line parallelwith the tongues 11, the floating plate 9 will be moved backward andforward, while the intermediate guide-plates 12 will remain stationary.When moving at right angles to such last-named movement, theintermediate guide-plates 12 will be carried by the floating plate 9 andthey will together move backward and forward in a line with the tongues14. Movements backward and forward in any right line in the same planewith these two movements will be permitted by a compound movement of thesaid floating and guide plates. Such movements, however, will bepermitted only in right lines, and relative rotation will be positivelyprevented.

The holes in the outer portion of the hub through which the extensions 8of the spoke 7 pass 'to the interior are slotted, as at 15, as are alsothe holes in the rim 2 through which they pass, in order to permit thedesired relative movement between the spokes and the hub. member.Dust-guards 16 are carried by the spoke extensions and close the saidslotted holes 15. The spoke extensions pass freely through holesin thedust-guards,and the dustguards are slidably mounted in grooves 17 in thehub. In this way the dust-guards will not impede the desired movement ofthe spoke extensionsin the slots 15, but at the same time will close thesaid slots at all times against the admission of dust and dirt.

The cushioning device herein employed comprises two hollow flexibleinflatable tubes 18. These are clearly shown in cross-section in thedetail Fig. 4. These tubes may be inserted in a deflated conditionbetween the rims 2 and 6 and may be in flated when in position in amanner well known. The spoke extensions 8 of the spoke 7 mayconveniently pass down between these tubes 18, as clearly shown in thisfigure, or if a single tube is employed as a cushioning device the spokeextensions may conveniently pass around the tube, as shown at 19 in themodified structure illustrated in Fig. 5.

For purposes of manufacture the hub 1 may conveniently be madein twoparts and united by means of bolts and nuts 20. The plate 9 may also bemade in two parts, if desired. In the drawings herewith it is shown asan integral piece. If made in two parts, they will be rigidly securedtogether.

A vehicle-axle is shown at 21 in the drawings, and suitableball-bearings 22 are disposed between the axle and thehub. Theseball-bearings form no part of this invention, and further detaileddescription is hence unnecessary.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that in the operation ofa wheel when pressure is applied to the tire-rim t the same willbetransmitted through the spokes to the rim 6 and there cushioned by thecushioning device interposed between the said rim and the rim 2. Byreason of the fact that the cushioning device is disposed between twosubstantially parallel surfaces the shock will be well distributed, thesaid distribution being far better than if the cushioning device werebetween the curved rim-tire of the wheel and the substantially straightsurfaces of the road-bed. It will be further seen that by thisconstruction I am enabled to use a plurality of tubes forming acushioning device, while retaining a single tread for the wheel. It willalso be obvious that if for any reason one portion of the cushioningdevice becomes disabled the remaining portion will tend to support thewheel until the same can properly be repaired. Again, in view of thedisposition and arrangement of the cushioning device the same is exposedto a minimum of pressure and effectually protected against injury bycontact with the road-bed, so that the wheel may be utilized to sustainheavy loads. The contact portion with the road-bed is no more liable toinjury than that of an ordinary solid tire, while all the advantages inthe cushioning and elastic effects of a pneumatic or cushion tire aresecured in the present invention.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to limitmyself to theprecise details of construction and combination of parts as herein shownand described, as the same may obviously be varied within wide limitswitho ut departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is 1. A wheelcomprising two members, one

locking the said members against rotation relatively of each other.

2. A wheel comprising two members, one member provided with a hub andthe other member with a tire rim, a plurality of flexible in flatabletubes, forming a cushioning device, arranged between said members, andmeans for permitting relative movement of the members in the plane ofrotation of the wheel, but for-locking the said members against rotationrelatively of each other.

3. A wheel comprising two members, one member provided'with a hub andthe other member with a tire rim, a cushioning device between saidmembers, and a plurality of spokes secured to said last-named member,and engaging with, but having a relative movement of, said first-namedmember, and means for locking the members against rotation relatively ofeach other in either direction.

4. A wheel comprising two members, one member provided with a hubportion, and a rim surrounding the said hub portion and secured thereto,and the other member provided with a tire-rim and a rim of smallerdiameter arranged within same and secured there-.

to, a cushioning device arranged between the inner rim of the last-saidmember, and the rim of the first-said member, and means for locking thesaid members against rotation relatively of each other.

5. A wheel com prisinga hub, a stationary rim secured to and supportedby said hub, a movable rim, a cushioning device disposed between thesaid rims, a tire-rim, spokes secured to said tire-rim and said movablerim, said spokes engaging with said hub, but having a relative movementtherewith, and means for locking the hub and stationary rim againstrotation relatively of the movable rim and tire-rim in either direction.

6. A wheel consisting of two members, one member comprising a hub, a rimsurrounding said hub, and a plurality of spokes connecting said rim andsaid hub, another member comprising a tire-rim, arim of smaller diameterarranged within same, and-a plurality of spokes secured to the said rimsand having ends which extend inwardly Wlihill the said rims and engagewith the first-said member, and a cushioning device arranged between theinner rim of the last-said member and the rim of the first-said member.

7. A wheel comprising two members, one within the other, and acushioning device arranged between the said members, and a floatingplate engaging with both the said members, whereby rightline relativemovement thereof, in the plane of rotation of the wheel is permitted,and meanswhereby relative rotary movement of the membersis prevented.

8. A wheel comprising a hub, a movable rimsurrounding said hub, acushioning device between said rim and said hub, spokes secured to saidmovable rim and having ends extending into said hub, and a floatingplate secured to the inner ends of said spokes and engaging with thesaid hub, and means whereby rotation of the said plate relativelythereto is prevented.

"9. A wheel comprising a hub, a movable rim surrounding the hub, acushioning device between the said rim and the said hub, a tire-rimsurrounding the said movable rim, spokes secured to the movable rim andto the tire-rim and having ends extending into the hub, a plate securedto inner ends of the said spokes, the said plate having a floatingconnection with the said hub.

10. A wheel comprising a hub, a movable rim surrounding the hub,a'cushioning device between the said rim and the said hub, a tire-rimsurrounding the said movable rim, spokes secured to the movable rim andto the tire-rim and having ends extending into the hub, a floating platesecured to the inner ends of the said spokes, and an intermediateguideplate between the said floating plate and the said hub.

11. A wheel comprising a hub, astationary rim secured thereto andsupported thereby, a cushioning device carried by said rim, amovable rimengaging with said cushioning device, a tire-rim secured to said movablerim, spokes secured to said movable rim and extending inwardly into saidhub, a floating plate secured to theinner end of said spoke and anintermediate guide-plate between said floating plate and said hub.

12. A wheel comprising a hub, a movable rim surrounding said hub, acushioning device between said rim and said hub, spokes secured to saidmovable rim and havingends extending into said hub through slotstherein, means for permittingright-line movement of the said rim andspokes relatively to the hub, and dust-guards inclosing the saidhubslots.

13. A wheel comprising a hub, a movable rim surrounding said hub, acushioning device between said rim and said hub, spokes secured to saidmovable rim and having ends extending into said hub through slotstherein, means for permitting right-line movement of the said rim andspokes, relatively to the hub, and movable dust-guards inclosing thesaid hubslots.

14. A wheel comprising a hub, a movable rim surrounding said hub, acushioning device between said rim and said hub, spokes secured to saidmovable rim and having ends extending into saidhub through slotstherein, means for permitting right-line movement of the said rim andspokes relatively to the hub, and movable dust-guards, mounted in thehub and carried by the spokes, inclosing thesaid hub-slots.

GEORGE S. LEE. Witnesses:

D. HOWARD HAYWOOD, HARRY F. Goss.

